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Sneaky improvements impacting everyone’s taxes

Apparently no-one from the Assessment Authority makes any effort to update incorrect information.
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Sneaky improvements impacting everyone’s taxes

Re: property tax increases in CVRD.

Much has been said and written about this year’s significant increase. I wonder how many taxpayers know that one reason some of us are paying more is that many property owners are not paying their fair share due to improper assessments?

Last year I was appealing my assessment notice and discovered a website where one can see the assessment details of any property at all by clicking on a map. It was a real eye-opener. In my immediate neighbourhood alone I found several properties that are grossly under-assessed. They are based on years-old conditions which have changed drastically and have not been updated. For example, houses which have been built onto and are now much bigger than stated on the records; and enormous and extravagant shop buildings which are not included at all in the total assessment.

Apparently no-one from the Assessment Authority makes any effort to update incorrect information. The point is, people, that if you are one of the honest and ethical property owners who are not doing improvements on the sneak, then you are paying those unethical neighbours’ taxes for them, as I am. They should at least be thanking us for doing that.

Patricia Glover

Cobble Hill